Scottish Executive

Air Services

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-275 by Nicol Stephen on 4 June 2003, why the terms of its consultancy contracts are commercially confidential, in what circumstances it would detail how much it has been spent on employing consultants; how much it has spent from the interim route development fund on supporting new routes, and how much it has spent on consultancies and studies regarding such new routes.

Nicol Stephen: The terms of the Scottish Executive’s contract with Aviasolutions, which ended on 31 March 2003, are available in the Parliament’s Reference Centre (Bib. number 27924). £41,479 has been paid out up to that date. Aviasolutions’ on-going work, and other consultancy contracts, on the Interim Route Development Fund (IRDF) are a matter for Scottish Enterprise which is administering the fund on behalf of the Scottish ministers.

  No monies have been paid out from the IRDF. Investment offers have been accepted for five routes which have commenced and monies will be paid out shortly. Any spend on consultancy works regarding the start-up of new air services from Scotland is aimed at underpinning investment decisions and ensuring that the routes meet our evaluation criteria.

Air Services

David Mundell (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with Her Majesty's Government, the North West Development Agency and any other body about the future of Carlisle Airport and what assessment has been made of the economic impact on the south of Scotland of any proposed daily return air services between the airport and London.

Nicol Stephen: The Executive has had discussions with the UK Government about the future of Carlisle Airport, and also with the owners of the airport about their plans for its development. No discussions have been held with the North West Development Agency. There has been no assessment made of the economic impact on the south of Scotland of any air service between Carlisle and London.

Concessionary Travel

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the proposed tram network in Edinburgh will be within the ambit of the concessionary fares scheme as it currently operates; if not, whether the scheme will be amended to include the tram network and, if so, when and by whom any such amendment will be made, and what public consultation will take place on the matter.

Nicol Stephen: The Transport Act 1985 gives local authorities the power to establish a travel concession scheme for the provision of travel concessions on journeys on any form of public passenger transport.

Digital Technology

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide details of the tendering process for the Pathfinder project; who is responsible for the process; which companies have been selected to submit tenders as referred to in news release SEFM108/203 of 10 March 2003; how the process was advertised; how clarity and transparency in the process will be ensured and monitored, and how many companies have submitted tenders, broken down into Scottish, United Kingdom and foreign-based companies.

Tavish Scott: The Pathfinder projects are subject to Government Procurement Procedures under which the Executive, together with its public sector partners, has responsibility for the tendering process. Government Procurement Procedures ensure clarity and that the tendering process is open to scrutiny. In accordance with relevant EU Directives, contract notices were placed in the Official Journal of the European Community for both the Highlands and Islands and South of Scotland Pathfinder projects on 22 November 2002 under reference numbers 2002/S 227–180984 and 2002/S 227–180986 respectively. Following evaluation of pre-qualification questionnaires, seven companies were invited to submit outline proposals for the Highlands and Islands project and six companies were invited to do likewise for the South of Scotland project. The outline proposals received are currently being evaluated. It is our view that for reasons of commercial confidentiality it would not be appropriate to give out the names of the tenderers at this stage.

Further and Higher Education

Elaine Smith (Coatbridge and Chryston) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it will take to support students from disadvantaged backgrounds in remaining in further and higher education.

Mr Jim Wallace: The Scottish Executive is committed to widening access to further and higher education to individuals from all backgrounds. In addition to free tuition, this is underpinned by a wide-ranging package of support targeted specifically towards individuals facing financial barriers in starting or continuing a course of study.

  Young students from low-income backgrounds in full-time higher education will receive part of their living cost support in the form of a non-repayable bursary and those from the lowest income backgrounds will receive a higher level of support overall. All eligible students are also entitled to receive non-repayable supplementary grants in recognition of additional financial needs such as the cost of caring for dependants (with extra help for lone parents), additional study costs arising from a disability and travel expenses. Additional discretionary support is also available through colleges and universities in the form of a grant from the Hardship Fund or a Hardship Loan. New mature students who started courses since 2001-02 can also get additional help through the Mature Students Bursary Fund for formal child care, housing or excess travel costs.

  For those in further education, student support is provided in the form of a discretionary, means-tested bursary. In addition to general living costs, the bursary can include allowances for costs relating to travel, study, caring for dependants and special educational needs. Additional support can be provided through the Childcare Fund and students who find themselves in financial difficulties that would otherwise force them to leave college can receive further help from the Hardship Fund or the Young Student Retention Fund.

  16- to 19-years-olds in further education will also soon benefit from Educational Maintenance Allowances, which will give young people from low income families financial support to remain in full-time education. Education Maintenance Allowances are currently being piloted in four local authorities in Scotland, and are due for national roll out in 2004-05.

  The Executive is keen to ensure that the current support arrangements are helping us achieve our goal of widening access. As part of our forthcoming review of the funding of learners in post-compulsory education, we will work with our stakeholders to re-examine the support available for students facing financial hardship.

Public Transport

Alasdair Morgan (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to review the level of grant support given to public transport operators in the Dumfries and Galloway Council area.

Nicol Stephen: The Scottish Executive provides grant support to ScotRail in the Dumfries and Galloway Council area. The Scottish passenger rail franchise is currently being re-let, and will begin operation in 2004. The commercial bidding process will determine the level of public sector support to the franchisee. The Scottish Executive also provides grant support to bus operators via Bus Service Operators Grant.

  There are no plans to review this position.

Public Transport

Pauline McNeill (Glasgow Kelvin) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-190 by Nicol Stephen on 3 June 2003, what plans there are to introduce statutory obligations on bus operators to plan bus routes to serve key public services.

Nicol Stephen: None. Bus operators plan routes to key public services according to their commercial judgement. The statutory obligation to secure the provision of any additional services to meet public transport requirements for socially necessary services rests with local transport authorities.

Public Transport

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it will take to ensure that road traffic regulations benefit public transport.

Nicol Stephen: Roads authorities have general duties under the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 to secure the "expeditious, convenient and safe movement" of all traffic. This general duty is met by the road authority making traffic regulation orders which can be introduced for a variety of reasons, including the allocation of road space for specific purposes.

  Enforcement is a matter for the police, except in areas where decriminalised parking enforcement has been introduced where it is a matter for the local authority.

Rail Network

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive who is responsible for developing and implementing a rail freight strategy.

Nicol Stephen: With the exception of the administration in Scotland by the Scottish Executive of the Freight Facilities Grants and Track Access Grant schemes, rail freight is a reserved matter and as such is the responsibility of the Strategic Rail Authority

Rail Network

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what (a) direction and (b) guidance it has given to the Strategic Rail Authority on capacity usage and any other matter relating to the east coast main line from Edinburgh to Aberdeen.

Nicol Stephen: Matters relating to capacity usage and/or associated infrastructure enhancements on the east coast main line are for the Strategic Rail Authority to consider.

Road Safety

John Farquhar Munro (Ross, Skye and Inverness West) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether there was a reduction in the number of accidents at the junction between the A90 and A94 after the introduction of a speed limit and speed cameras at the junction and what the cost was of introducing these measures

Nicol Stephen: In the three years prior to the introduction of these road safety measures there were one fatal, one serious and four slight injury accidents at this location. In the three years following, there were one serious and one slight injury accidents. The cost of introducing the measures was approximately £170,000.

Road Safety

Maureen Macmillan (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will make public the recommendations by BEAR Scotland Ltd about safety at the north Kessock junction on the A9 that are due to be submitted to the Executive at the end of June 2003.

Nicol Stephen: The road safety investigation report for the A9 North Kessock junction, in common with all such reports, may contain potentially sensitive information from the police and therefore it would not be appropriate to place it in the public domain. However, the Executive will place a copy of the recommendations, when they become available, in the Parliament’s Reference Centre (Bib. number 27768).

Roads

David Mundell (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what information it has received about the likely (a) start and (b) completion date of works to upgrade the A74 from Gretna to Carlisle to motorway status.

Nicol Stephen: I understand that contractors have been appointed to take this project forward and their consultants are now working on the detailed design of the route. Details will be published by the end of this year and, subject to satisfactory completion of statutory procedures, construction is expected to start in 2005-06. Thereafter, the project will take some two years to complete.

Roads

Mr Brian Monteith (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what statutory responsibilities utility companies are under to notify local authorities when undertaking work that affects local authority-maintained roads; what national agreed standards of work there are on the reinstatement of such roads following work by utility companies, and whether statutory fines may be levied on such companies that fail to reinstate such roads to a satisfactory condition.

Nicol Stephen: There is a requirement under the New Roads and Street Works Act 1991 for utility companies to give roads authorities advance notice of all road works and reinstatements.

  National standards for reinstatement are contained in the statutory code of practice Specification for the Reinstatement of Openings in Highways.

  Section 130 of the act requires that a utility company carrying out road works shall, in reinstating the road, comply with prescribed requirements for the specification of materials to be used and the standards of workmanship to be observed. Failure to comply with section 130 is an offence which, on summary conviction, is liable to a fine of up to £1,000.

Scottish Natural Heritage

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will seek advice from Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) on the impact that closure of auxiliary fire brigades may have on the environment; whether SNH considers that an efficient and effective fire service is important in respect of the control of muirburn and forest fires, and whether SNH will issue a statement on the matter.

Hugh Henry: I have asked Ian Jardine, Chief Executive of Scottish Natural Heritage to respond. His response is as follows:

  Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) recognises the impact which uncontrolled fire outbreaks can have on the natural heritage. When a fire gets out of control, the speed and effectiveness with which it is tackled is key to minimising the damage done. SNH is, therefore, very supportive of there being an effective and efficient fire service available to carry out this important task. It is not for SNH, however, to determine how this service can be most effectively and efficiently provided. We do not, therefore, intend to issue a statement on the matter.

Social Work

Trish Godman (West Renfrewshire) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many unfilled social work vacancies there are in each local authority.

Euan Robson: This information is available in Statistical Bulletin SWK/S/2002/24 - Staff of Scottish Local Authority Social Work Services, 2001 at http://www.scotland.gov.uk/stats/bulletins/00197-00.asp and the most recent Annual Report of the Chief Inspector of Social Work Services for Scotland at http://www.scotland.gov.uk/library5/social/gdno-00.asp.

Traffic

Phil Gallie (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what powers it has in respect of economic development to support firms in securing fair treatment from bodies and offices such as the Traffic Commissioner for Scotland.

Nicol Stephen: The Scottish Executive has no such powers.

Traffic

Phil Gallie (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment it has made of the economic impact of any discriminatory action being taken by the Traffic Commissioner for Scotland against Trans Consult in Edinburgh.

Nicol Stephen: None. The functions of the Traffic Commissioners for the Scottish Traffic Area in relation to freight are reserved.